ACEMS Mentoring Series: 16/04/2019
Disclaimer
Why me?
Challenge what it means to present mathematical research
Why me?
Challenge what it means to present mathematical research
Haven't given a talk in Beamer since 2016
R - RMarkdown and Ioslides
Interactive graphics
Interactive graphics
Interactive graphics
Outline:
- Why bother giving a good talk?
- Conveying your message
- Relationship with your audience
- Slide layout
Why bother?
Some reasons
You have to (milestones)
Conferences / Workshops
Promote a paper
Some reasons
You have to (milestones)
Conferences / Workshops
Promote a paper
Some reasons
You have to (milestones)
Conferences / Workshops
Promote a paper
Some reasons
You have to (milestones)
Conferences / Workshops
Promote a paper
Others reasons
Why are you motivated to give a good talk?
???
Tweet them to: @ACEMathStats @katerobsau
Motivated ✓
Now how do we actually give a good talk?
Message
Why do I care?
Pitching 1.0
Set of key messages
3 minute talk = 1 idea
10 minute talk = 1 - 2 ideas and a bit of background
20 minute talk = A few (2 - 4) of ideas and introductory background
etc.
Set of key messages
3 minute talk = 1 idea
10 minute talk = 1 - 2 ideas and a bit of background
20 minute talk = A few (2 - 4) of ideas and introductory background
etc.
Think about these key messages as your roadmap
Build your slides around them to support this story
Take home message
If someone summarises your talk after
What do you want them to remember?
Audience
Pitching 2.0
Audience:
- Masters and PhD students at different levels
- Researchers from the application, not mathematically trained
- Important people in your field
Temptation
Contract
As a speaker your job is try to communicate your reserach
As an audience member your job is to listen
Contract
As a speaker your job is try to communicate your reserach
As an audience member your job is to listen
If you break the contract as a speaker
Communicating with your audience
Some suggestions:
Keep ideas in their simplest possible form
Where possible, develop in stories in a dual way
eg. skoof, proof by pictureTell the audience how it's relevant to them
Questions
If the audience engaged with your talk you will get asked questions! -
Getting asked questions is good!
Question Fear
Giving talks and getting asked questions is scary for some people
What next
✓ Motivation
✓ Messages
✓ Audience
? Slide layout
Slide Layout
Sign posts
Repeat your messages
People have short attention spans!
Get people to listen again
Pink elephants
Scientific thinking in words - David Lindsay
- Book about scientific writing
- Covers: paper writing, talks, posters, presentations
- Written by for more general science, still applicable to mathematics
- Highly recommended
- Makes this interesting point about "pink elephants"
- Which is where people reading your slide and not paying attention
- So you can basically say anything - like pink elephants!!!
- Or touch your nose
Text
I try never to put text on slides that I do not intend to read!!
Text
I try never to put text on slides that I do not intend to read!!
Same goes for equations
Same goes for pictures
Structure vs Style
Structure:
- Messages
- Audience
- Slide Layout
Style:
- Honesty
- Humour
Final remarks
Keeping it real
Creating a well crafted story and
clear accompanying slides takes timeKeeping it real
Creating a well crafted story and
clear accompanying slides takes timeOkay to give the same talk more than once!
You probably won't give an amazing talk the first time
Improve aspects of your talk each time
Upward mentoring
If you are a supervisor:
Let your student know you are in their corner
Encourage them to get out there and try
Conclusions
✓ Motivation
✓ Messages
✓ Audience
✓ Slide layout